Making Hay as a boss – aged just 17

By Jason Creasey

HULLBRIDGE Sports have a proud history of blooding young players – now that is extending to the management team too.

With interim manager Sam Ayres unavailable, along with lead coach Marcus Spremulli, up stepped 17-year-old Hayden Thwaites to take over the manager’s reins for last Saturday’s Essex Senior League clash with Basildon United.

The fledgling coach wasn’t able to mark his managerial debut with a win as Step 5 Sports went down to a 2-0 defeat having squandered a number of early chances.

TEEN BOSS: 17-year-old stand-in manager Hayden Thwaites ponders his next move

PICTU PICTURE: Nicky Hayes

But according to his Dad Gareth, who is a director of the club, he relished the added responsibility on his big day in the spotlight.

“Hayden has been at the club since he was six years old as a player and has always enjoyed the coaching and management side of football,” he explained.

“It was a little surreal to have such a young lad front and centre in the dugout in a Step 5 Essex Senior League derby game but Hayden handled himself well and did himself and the club proud.”

Hayden took the team along with analyst Richard Brenkley but initially started in the backroom team as kitman.

However, the youngster stepped up his involvement following the appointment of Steve Roberts as manager at the start of the 2024/25 season.

And he has big hopes for the future.

“Hayden’s aim is definitely to build a career within management and coaching,” said Gareth.

“He definitely is a student of the game and he is building a good knowledge and understanding of Non-League football.

“He’s learning from all around him and being in daily at Dagenham offers the real benefit of working within a full-time football environment.”